


If You Want It, Take It

by orphan_account



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, First Kiss, Fluff, Getting Together, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-23
Updated: 2015-12-23
Packaged: 2018-05-08 16:48:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5505308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eren thinks he's suave - and he is, probably - but Levi is more than a match for him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	If You Want It, Take It

**Author's Note:**

> This is my secret santa piece for tumblr user [ackernerd](http://ackernerd.tumblr.com/).
> 
> Dear giftee, I do hope you'd like this despite me being utter pants at fluff. Merry Christmas!
> 
> Ereri Secret Santa 2015

Eren has a thing for men with stoic faces. 

It's not so much as a thing as an obsession, really. He lives for the indifferent, 'can't be bothered' expression. Although it did take him a while to admit (and notice) that all the men he's had a crush on and found attractive are "dry," as Mikasa had described them, or "aloof," as a kinder adjective Armin had provided. 

He's not really sure why he does, but it doesn't really matter since the man he's had a crush on for months walks up to the register. Eren immediately brightens up and smiles wider than he usually does for other customers. 

"Good morning, Sir! What would you like to have today?" said Eren chirpily even though he already knows that the short, hot man with the undercut and suit would order a-

"Large Americano. Extra espresso." The man says, pushing a five dollar bill onto the counter. His hand stills for a moment as he furrows his brow at the bill. Then, as if remembering something painful, He chokes out a simple, "Please."

Eren smiles wider at this. He recalls a few days earlier, when this man came in with a tall, cheery brunette who was berating him for not using "magic words" exactly like a mother would scold her ten year-old child. 

"That would be three dollars. I received a five dollar bill. Here's your change." Eren says, mechanically, although his face still has a wide grin plastered on it as he takes a large cup from beside him.

"Can I have your name, Sir?" Eren adds. He also knows this of course, but it's Standard Operating Procedure for the cafe.

That, and he likes the man's deep and positively orgasmic voice and wants to hear it more. 

"Levi."

Eren scrawls it on the bottom of the cup and barely stops himself from dotting the 'i' with a heart. _You're so gay, Eren_. He muses to himself and tells Levi to have a seat and that his drink will be brought to him in a few minutes. 

"Thank you." Levi says as he turns around, and Eren can't help it, he ducks below the counter and laughs, earning him a dirty glance from Jean, who's preparing Levi's drink.

Eren waves him off and composes himself enough to stand up. 

"Did you hear that?" He whispers.

"Yeah, grumpy finally learned some manners." Jean gruffly replies and Eren snorts again because that a while ago was just too _cute_.

Okay, so maybe Eren knows why his types are what they are. He enjoys it when the appearance doesn't match the attitude. He loves the inconsistencies. He wants to be the one to make that difference. Wants to be the one to break the exterior.

"Sometimes, I think you're in love with your cat and fall in love with whoever resembles it." Jean pulls him out of his thoughts. 

"Nah," Eren laughs, "It's because of that that I bought Tiny." 

Jean just rolls his eyes at him and places Levi's coffee in front of Eren. "Just have your fix already."

Eren beams at him and brings the drink to where Levi was sitting at the far corner, to where he sits _every - single -time_ , and says. "Large Americano for Levi." 

The man barely looks at him when he nods his thanks and leaves. 

Eren sighs. 

Maybe he's a masochist.

______

That afternoon, he decides to take a stroll in the park.

The chilly air and faint crackling of the falling leaves are warmly welcomed by Eren as he takes in a deep breath. When he takes another step, he hears something crunch beneath his foot. 

A leaf. 

He grins to himself and began jumping on every crunchy looking leaf within reach.  
_  
Crunch._

_Crunch. Crunch. Crunch._

_Crunch._

_Crunch. Crunch._

_Crunch._

_Crunch._

_Crunch. Crunch._

_Crunch. Crunch_

_Cr-_  
  
"Will you _please_ keep it down?" Says an irritated voice from behind him. Eren starts. First, because he knows this voice and second, because when he turns around and finds that he's right, the man is glaring pointedly at him. 

He feels uncomfortable under the glare because of all the wrong reasons. He feels the blush creeping on his face and a faint heat pooling in his belly. The man, he truly notices for the first time, has very nice lips, lips which the man was now biting in irk. 

The silence stretches on and the man smirks, smirks, probably because Eren looks like a deer caught in the headlights and Eren can't take it because that little arch in the corner of the man's mouth sharpens his cold features. So cold that a shiver travels up his spine. 

Okay, maybe he _is_ a masochist. 

"That's better." Levi muses and lays back down on the bench.

"I'm sorry," Eren says meekly, because well, he was pretty noisy.

Levi sighs and sits up to regard Eren. When Levi looks at Eren, his eyes widen minutely and there is another long pause, although a tad bit longer this time, before he licks his lips, probably dry from the cold and says, "It's okay. I shouldn't have snapped at you, kid. Just turn it down a bit next time."

Eren bristles at the man's statement. "I'm not a kid."

The man, Levi, Eren reminds himself, cocks his brow at Eren and a smile is playing at the corner of his lips.

"Right, because you haven't been stomping on leaves like a baby elephant."

Eren then smiles sheepishly, "What? It's nice."

Levi smirks again when he shakes his head. He lays back down on the bench and waves his hand at Eren in dismissal, which probably meant, _'There's no point in arguing with you.'_

Equally annoyed and flustered, Eren stomps out of the park, muttering, "Grumpy old man."

However, later, when he's back in his apartment, he couldn't stop smiling.

______

The next time Levi visits the cafe Eren works in, Eren decides to change things up for a bit.

"Good morning, Levi! One large Americano with extra espresso for you again, today?" Eren greets enthusiastically. 

Levi's eyebrows shoot up confusedly and finally looks up at Eren. He has the same reaction from earlier that week. Eyes widened and eyebrows cocked up in shock. However this time, Eren can see a very faint pink coloring in Levi's cheeks, and it encourages him somehow. 

"You."

"Yes?" He says a little cockily. 

"You work here."

"Yes." Eren struggles to hide his laugh. _He didn't notice?_

"Huh." Levi replies, placing a five dollar bill on a counter. "I'll have a large Cappuccino, thank you."

Eren raises his eyebrow in slight disbelief and gives Levi his change. 

"Name, please." He says, because he realized he liked annoying Levi.

"You just said it earlier." 

"Standard Operating Procedure." Eren smirks. 

"Ackerman." Levi replies, because somehow he feels like competing, whatever this was. 

But instead this makes Eren smile even wider. He writes _Levi Ackerman_ on the bottom of the cup, and this time he does dot the 'i' with a heart along with his phone number and a poorly thought of "Call me."

When he brings Levi his drink, Levi takes it, thanks him and leaves, still sporting the faint blush from earlier.

Eren smirks after him.

______

"Stop sulking." Jean tells him as they clean up to leave their shift.

"He acted like he didn't see it!" Eren replies indignantly, ruffling his hair in frustration.

"He probably didn't."

"But my handwriting was _huge _. He can't not have seen it!"__

__Eren receives another eye-roll from Jean. "Just ask him about it. You're getting annoying." Jean says and adds as an afterthought, "More than usual anyway."_ _

__Eren ignores him. "I'm usually right about things like this. Maybe my gaydar is broken."_ _

__That earns him a smack to the head. "Ask him out properly."_ _

__"I'm not gonna take relationship advice from you."_ _

__This time, Jean scoffs, "What relationship?"_ _

__Eren punches him lightly in the shoulder and walks home. He debates visiting the park today but decides to go anyway because what are the odds that Levi would be there?_ _

__The odds are stacked quite unfavorably against his favor, Eren thinks, when he sees Levi lounging on the same park bench as the one before. He was turning to leave when sees a ball smack on the back of Levi's head._ _

__He laughs. _This is going to be good_ , Eren thinks as he sees a scared little kid run over towards Levi to retrieve the ball, or apologize. whichever. He decides he wants to see this, so he walks closer._ _

__But instead of falling privy to the kid's tears, he witnesses Levi ruffling the kid's hair. His smile unrestrained as he tells the boy it was okay and nudges him to go back playing._ _

__"You know, you're pretty cute when you're nice."_ _

__Levi turns towards his voice, smile turning into a smirk._ _

__"Yeah? So what am I when I'm not nice?"_ _

__Eren bites back his 'pretty fucking hot' answer and the blush that was surely creeping up his face, opting to shrug, because he's still pretty bitter about the cup thing._ _

__"Do you come here often?" Eren winces at the cheesy pick-up line he heard straight from his mouth and sighs to himself._ _

__Levi, takes no heed of it and answers, "Yeah. I like it here."_ _

__"I see."_ _

__The silence stretches between them and Eren decides to fuck it and ask, "Did you get my message?"_ _

__"What message?"_ _

___Oh, Jean was right._ "The one I wrote on your cup."_ _

__"Why would you write your message on my- _Oh._ " Levi laughs. Outright _laughs_. His face no longer a calm mask but one of unrestrained mirth and Eren is caught between awed and embarrassed. _ _

__"That's a very cliché way to ask somebody out." He says once he's finished._ _

__"I work as a barista. I'm entitled to that cliché." Eren lifts his chin in defiance._ _

__Levi shakes his head, open amusement in his face. "Now what?"_ _

___What indeed_. "Now you give me an answer." Eren says bravely, ignoring the warmth heating his entire body. _ _

__He's still smiling and Eren is definitely losing his shit right now._ _

__"As far as I'm concerned, you haven't asked me anything... yet." Levi tells him, a definite challenge lingering in his words._ _

__"Alright," Eren says, encouraged. "There's a new restaurant in the block, do you want to have dinner with me?"_ _

__"When?"_ _

__"Right now."_ _

__"Aren't you going to introduce yourself first, Eren?" Levi stands up, with his weight on one foot and one hand in his pocket. He collects his coat from the back of the bench before walking towards Eren._ _

__"Grea- W-what?" He sputters, more embarrassed now that he realized he's just assumed Levi would know him. He collects a modicum of calm and tries to fix his blunder. "Well, you already know my name."_ _

__"And that's all there is to know?" He says, immediately in front of Eren now, still sporting the smirk from earlier._ _

__"What? No!" He says, too loud for the quiet of the park. "Umm. I mean. No. There's so much more." He corrects, calmer. "And I want to learn more about you."_ _

__That seems to be the correct answer for Levi hums in approval. "Alright. Come on."_ _

__Eren beams at him and takes his hand, the one not holding the sweater. Levi doesn't budge and stares at their hands._ _

__Eren notices Levi's hesitation and let's go of his hand, hurrying to apologize. "Sorry, too quick?"_ _

__"No," Levi says and takes Eren's hand back. "Just surprised, is all."_ _

__"Great, let's go." Eren beams, loving the roughness of Levi's palm against his. Their hands are the same size, he notices, although Levi's fingers are thicker._ _

__They walk in silence but it's a comfortable silence, albeit a little awkward, Eren muses, as he watches Levi from the corner of his eye. Levi looks at him from time to time, sometimes openly staring._ _

__Levi breaks the silence. "I can't believe I never noticed you before this."_ _

__Eren shrugs. "You never really look up. But yeah, it's still pretty amazing because I've been seeing you at the shop for a few months already."_ _

__Levi regards the information in silence but squeezes Eren's hand lightly. Eren smiles._ _

__"I'm kind of wondering why you agreed to this." Eren asks him._ _

__"You're attractive. You asked. Why not?" He replies nonchalantly._ _

__Giddy, Eren squeezes Levi's hand back and they keep walking until Eren's phone buzzes in his pocket. The ID informs him it's his sister, Mikasa, who only calls when it's important._ _

__"Excuse me ," He says to Levi before answering. "Mikasa?"_ _

__"Eren. Armin's grandpa slipped and I can't contact him." She breathes out worriedly._ _

__"I'll find him. Which hospital?"_ _

__"Sina."_ _

__"Alright, bye." The call drops and Eren turns to Levi apologetically. "My friend's grandfather is in the hospital and he won't answer his phone. I know I'm being really rude here but can we maybe have dinner next time?"_ _

__Levi pats Eren's back. "Don't sweat it, kid. I don't mind. Could even come with you, if you're okay with it."_ _

__"Really?" He says, and he knows from the sound of his voice that his eyes are doing the puppy thing but he doesn't care. "I'm more than okay with it."_ _

__Levi nods and stuffs his hands inside his pockets and Eren follows the motion with his eyes longingly. Levi notices it, smirks and takes one hand out and Eren holds it again quickly._ _

__"Where is he?" Levi asks._ _

__Eren checks his phone for the time and replies, "Library."_ _

____

______

As it turns out, Armin's grandpa broke his hip, but otherwise will be okay once the replacement is in and heals so Armin bids them goodbye at the hospital and the three of them wait for a taxi outside the hospital's lobby.

"Thanks for coming, Levi. I'm really sorry for canceling." Eren says, facing Levi and giving him the most thankful of smiles. 

"Like I said, I don't mind. I'll see you at the cafe tomorrow?" Levi ruffles his hair, which brings forth a surge of warmth in Eren's cheeks. He peers behind Eren and adds, "You too, Mikasa. See you at work."

"See you, boss." Mikasa replies with a slight bow of the head. 

Eren watches the exchange confusedly and then it dawns on him: Levi's primness and the way he carries himself.

"He's your boss?!" Eren exclaims disbelievingly. 

Mikasa nods.

"Don't you work for Recons Inc.'s Elite team?"

Mikasa nods again.

"So you're..."

This time, it's Levi who nods amusedly.

"I..." Eren says apologetically, looking like he's about to combust with the amount of red tinting his skin and Levi chuckles. 

"Come here." He says and beckons Eren to come closer.

When Eren does however, he is rendered even more speechless by the downward tug of the hand behind his neck and of the lips that are suddenly on his own. He doesn't move, shocked at first, until he realizes what is happening and presses back, arms wrapping around Levi in embrace and lifts Levi up in the heat of the moment. 

Levi pushes him back lightly and Eren puts him back down. "Never do that again," he says but there is no trace of anger or irritation in his face or voice so Eren just laughs and reluctantly, Levi follows suit. 

"See you tomorrow." Levi repeats. 

And Eren does.

Every day thereafter.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, you finished reading it!
> 
> Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! <3


End file.
